Cultivator



(No Model.) 2 Shuts-Sheet 2. G. W. RIPE.

OULTIVATOR.

No. 578,658. Patented Mar. 9,1897.

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, elevation of the gang-plow support.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. RIFE, OF BOSTON, INDIANA,

CU LTIVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,658, dated March9,1897. Application filed January 11, 1897. Serial No. 618,847. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. RIFE, residing at Boston, in the county ofW ayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a cultivator which isprincipally supported upon a rigid axle and main ground-wheels and withthe rear end which sustains the Weight of the operator supported uponcasterwheels attached to the outside frame-pieces and substantially inline therewith, so as to track outside of the ground cultivated by therespective gangs of cultivator-teeth which straddle and work each sideof the corn-row.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for looking saidcasterwheels against lateral movement.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for simultaneouslyreleasing the locks of both caster-wheels by the act of raising eitherone of the gang-plows.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means foroperating the gangteeth.

The features of my invention will be more fully set forth in thedescription of the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my cultivator.Fig. 2 is a top plan View of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of amodification of Fig. 1, showing all of my improvements. Fig. 4 is adetailed view of the caster-wheel support shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is asectional Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the standard forming the mainsupport of the gang-beams. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the releasingmechanism for the casterwheel look, being a modification of that shownin Fig. 3.

A represents the ordinary arch axle; B, the

ground-wheels, which straddle the corn-row; O G, the frame-pieces,whichare shown in Fig.

1 as made of gas-pipe.

0 represents the front end frame-piece.

I) represents the rear cross, upon which seat D is located.

E E represent the draft-irons, which are hinged upon the front end frameby means of horizontal and vertical hinge-bolts 'r s, so that thegang-beams may have both vertical and lateral movement.

F F represent the beams which support the gangs of cultivator-teeth.

a a represent the cultivator-teeth, attached to the shanks b, which inturn are secured to the beams by shank c.

G G represent caster-wheels which are respectively secured to the sidebeams of the frame.

, In Fig. 1 the frame-pieces are shown as extended downward, and thecaster-wheels are attached to the pendent ends of said framepieces. InFig. 3 the caster-forks are shown as extending upward and attached tothe rear end of the framepieces,and the seat and crosspiece are omitted.In both Figs. 1 and 3 the caster-wheels are hung so as to track outsideof the path of cultivation of the gang of cultivator-teeth and centrallybetween the cornrows, thereby not interfering materially with that partof the ground which is cultivated. In both forms the caster-wheels areheld rigidlyin position during the time of cultivation; but when it isdesired to turn'the cultivator means are provided for releasing thelocks which hold the caster-wheels, so that both wheels will besimultaneously released and allowed to turn on their swivels.

The method of simultaneously locking and releasing the caster-wheels inFig. 1 is as follows: 6 represents the head of the casterwheel fork.frepresents the king-bolt, which is secured to said head and journals inears h 1 attached to the side frame-pieces. j represents a coil-springthe lower end of which seats against the collar 70, which is rigidlyattached to the king-bolt, and the upper end against the upper ear i.The head 6 is provided with a lug or rib Z, and the lower end h has acorresponding groove. When the operator is in his seat D, his weightdepresses the frame and brings the ears h down upon the heads 6 andholds the lug Z in engagement with the grooves in the ears, and theweight of the operator is supported upon the casterwheels. This at thesame time compresses the springs j. When the driver rises out of hisseat, the frame rises and releases the locks, and the caster-wheels arefree to turn upon their swiveLpoints. In order, however, that the drivermay release the locks by raising one of the gang-plows, which issometimes desirable, I have provided the instrumentalities shown in Fig.3. The forks of the casterwheels are each provided with heads m, havingflanges n projecting rearward therefrom. n? represents notches in saidflanges. 0 represents a latch secured to latch-pivot 0. Lugs 12 arebeveled on their outer sides, so as to cause the latch to automaticallyrise when the caster-wheel forks are turned from a lateral to a linealposition. 19 represents crankarms secured to said pivots. 19 representsconnecting-rods hinged at one end to each of said cranks and at theforward end to a bail g, which spans the cultivator-frame and in thepath of the raising-handles of the gangplow. The ends of said bail arepivoted to the side frames 0.

H H represent handles attached to the respective gang-beams F F. Thesehandles are pivotally supported upon a standard I by means of an arm J,pivoted theretoand preferably upon a swiveling bracket K, whichswiveling bracket is provided with a downwardly-projecting tongue L,which plays between lugs M N, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby allowing aconsiderable lateral motion of said handles to swing the gang-beams toand from the corn-rows and yet preventing too wide a range of movement.The forward ends of said pivoted arms J are counterpoised by acontractile spring 0. The object of this spring is to assist in raisingthe gang-beams and to assist in holding them normally in a raisedposition. In order that the handles H may move freely on the pivot-arms,they are provided with grooved antifriction-wheels 1, supported inswivel-forks 2. These wheels are always in line with arm J in anylateral angle and are adapted to travel up nearer the pivotal point thanthe point of attachment of the tension-spring 0, so that when thehandles are moved to their innermost position, as shown in Fig. 3, theweight of the springs will hold up the beam and thereby hold thecultivator-teeth out of the ground. The rear ends of said levers arebent upward sufficient to prevent the antifriction-rollers from runningoff when the beams are depressed. The bail q being within the path ofthe movement of the handles H when they are raised is turned on itspivot, thereby pulling the cranks p forward and raising the latches 0out of engagement with the notches n, releasing the locks of bothcaster-wheels 1 simultaneously in the act of raising either shown aparallel-rule movement, in which 2 represents the stationary portion,and 3 the moving parallel in ember hinged to the stationary member bymeans of links 4:. This is one of the equivalents which may be appliedin lieu of the bail. The handles H are shown as provided with loopst, soas to render them convenient to take hold of when it is desired tomanipulate the plowbeams. In the form shown in Fig. 1 the gang-beams aresupported by tension-springs which normally lift the teeth out of thesoil, the teeth being forced into the ground and guided by the feet ofthe operator resting in stirrups u.

7 It is obvious that steps may be provided for the operator to rest hisfeet upon when he does not desire to rest them upon the gang-beams, butthese parts are'of the usual construction.

The form of construction shown in Fig. 3 is the preferred form ofconnecting the easter-wheels to the frame and of operating the latcheswhich look the same in position; but I do not wish to limit myself tothis form of construction except where the same are made elements of aclaim.

I believe I am the first to employ a cultivator without a stiff tongue,employing groundwheels to support the principal weight and caster-wheelsto support the weight of the operator, with looking devices under thecontrol of the operator and with the caster-wheels attached to the frameso as to straddle the corn-row and travel outside of the path ofcultivation of the respective gangs.

Having described my invention, I claim-- 1. A cultivator having a mainframe 'supported partly upon ground-wheels, a seat attached to saidframe supported by casterwheels, locking mechanism applied to saidcaster-wheels which are under the control of the operator, and means forsimultaneously operating the locks of both caster-wheels, gangs ofcultivator-teeth hinged to the frame and operating inside of the treadof the easter-wheels, substantially as specified.

2. A tongueless cultivator having a main frame supported partly uponground-wheels and partly upon caster-wheels swiveled on the main frame,locking mechanism applied to said caster-wheels, gang-beams carryingcultivator-teeth, hinged to the main frame and working inside of thetread of the casterwheels,handles connected to said gang-beams, a memberlying in the path of the movement of said handles and connected to bothsets of caster-wheel locking mechanisms, whereby they are simultaneouslyoperated to release the look by the raising of one of said beamhandles,substantially as specified. V 7

3. In a'tongueless cultivator the frame of which is supported partlyupon ground-wheels and the rear end upon caster-wheels swiveled to thesides of the main frame and at the rear thereof, gang-beams carryingcultivator-teeth hinged to the main frame and working inside of thetread of said caster-wheels, spring-controlled loeks connected to theswivels of each IIO having a main frame supported upon groundwheels, incombination with handles H hinged to said gang-beams, a swiveling leversupported upon a standard, springs attached to and controlling saidswiveling lever, and antifriction-wl1eels pivoted to said handles andtraveling upon said swiveling lever, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEO. W. RIFE. Witnesses:

N. S. LAMAR, WILLIAM A. BOND.

